Is it ever too late to cremate?

[Show Me Your Kitties]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place. I really have no idea where else to post it.

My Nico passed away June 9th of this year, and in the moment, my heart wanted to bury him with his favorite stuffed teddy bear and his favorite blanket.

But now, with the possibility of moving next summer, I now wish I had cremated him.

Do you think it's too late to cremate him? I wouldn't be able to do it until next year because of current vet bills and upcoming Christmas shopping. Would he be too decomposed by then?

I was told by my boys' foster mom that it's never too late, but I just wanted to ask in case anyone here had experience with a late cremation.

 

[KittyCat Angel]

Unless your pet has been in refrigeration it has already started to decompose. Not very pleasant to exhume unembalmed remains. If you must I would have someone else do the job. Call a pet/animal crematorium and ask for advice. I am sure they will help you with your wishes .

 

[solomonar]

I dont have any experience of that sort. But it just happened a crime in my country that triggered a lot of interest in cremation.

My 2 cents: let the time do its job and eventually you will only have to take care of the bones next summer. Not sure though it is sufficient time for this.

There is also liquefaction procedure available some places for human corps - most likely for pets as well. Reason of using this alternative instead of cremation is that it does not use heat, thus can accommodate better various situations.

Another solution is to leave it where it is now - unless the place is going to be constructed (digging?). That is what happens in nature.

+++
In my personal opinion, exhumation can generate a mental shock, if you will do it yourself. If not the crematorium staff, maybe a friend can do it for you. In my opinion, it is wise not to underestimate this sort of impact.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, I would advise you to have someone else do it. It's never too late to cremate, and his remains are wrapped in a blanket. The blanket will still be largely intact, we had some little ones moved after three years because of machinery disturbing their resting place, and the blankets were almost like new. Make sure you ask the crematorium what he should be placed in when he is exhumed. his body is a physical vessel for his 'essence' or soul, what truly made him him. His spirit is a part of you and will always be.....

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

KittyCat Angel
di and bob
solomonar

There seems to have been a misunderstanding, I wasn't planning on cremating him myself. I apologize that was unclear. That honestly would be too traumatizing. I wouldn't even want to remove his body from the coffin and I would hope I wouldn't have to. I was simply wondering if Nico would be too decomposed for a professional pet cremation service to do it, like would they refuse because he isn't freshly passed on.

Thanks all for the replies

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

Yes, I would advise you to have someone else do it. It's never too late to cremate, and his remains are wrapped in a blanket. The blanket will still be largely intact, we had some little ones moved after three years because of machinery disturbing their resting place, and the blankets were almost like new. Make sure you ask the crematorium what he should be placed in when he is exhumed. his body is a physical vessel for his 'essence' or soul, what truly made him him. His spirit is a part of you and will always be.....

Thanks, I'm glad to know it wouldn't be too late. I'll have to research which of the pet cremation services would work for me. If I could go back I would have had him cremated to begin with and gotten a paw print. As Much as I don't want to think about the day I lose my boys, that is what I am going to do next time.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It will be fine. Just have someone else do the removal for you. That isn't something you want to take on yourself.

Rest you gentle, Nico, dream you deep. Your pawprints are on someone's heart forever...far better there than on a plaque, my dear.

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

It will be fine. Just have someone else do the removal for you. That isn't something you want to take on yourself.

Rest you gentle, Nico, dream you deep. Your pawprints are on someone's heart forever...far better there than on a plaque, my dear.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Bless you! And, I think you can get accomplished what you want! Please let us know that Nico will be going with you when you move. I believe in my heart that he will be. But, you know, either way he is already with you anyway!

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

Bless you! And, I think you can get accomplished what you want! Please let us know that Nico will be going with you when you move. I believe in my heart that he will be. But, you know, either way he is already with you anyway!

He'll be going with me. If I can't cremate his remains then I'll just bury him at the new house because I can't stomach him being dug up by the new owners and them tossing him into the woods or the trash because idk why they would want someone else's dead cat in their garden.

But cremation would make taking him with me so much easier.

 

[vyger]

There have been many discussions about cremation including one on DIY methods. There was even a discussion as to people as I recall. A suggestion I made back then was to take whatever ashes you have and mix them with cement and form it into something you like that way you can take it with you and it will be impervious to anything including being left out in the weather. You could cast it into a mold of a cat and sit it in the birdbath. Lots of possibilities.
As to your question, there may not be much left to exhume as small things tend to go back into the soil pretty quickly. There have to be pretty ideal conditions for things to be preserved.

 

[solomonar]

Alkaline hydrolysis (google it) is the non-heat alternative to cremation. In some parts of the world is not legal, in some they just dont care. Check before proceeding. Can be cheaper and easier.

In conventional cremation (heat based) some bones are difficult to burn (I pass the details). Reason of using high temperature is to achieve as much as possible volume reduction and complete transformation. However, forensic studies found that even conventionally low temperature that can be achieved in coal burning chambers (backyard DiY containers) are sufficient for advanced cremation.

To conclude: any corp, at any stage of decomposition, can be liquefied or cremated at the current common stage of technology.

Sorry for being so gross :-(

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

There have been many discussions about cremation including one on DIY methods. There was even a discussion as to people as I recall. A suggestion I made back then was to take whatever ashes you have and mix them with cement and form it into something you like that way you can take it with you and it will be impervious to anything including being left out in the weather. You could cast it into a mold of a cat and sit it in the birdbath. Lots of possibilities.
As to your question, there may not be much left to exhume as small things tend to go back into the soil pretty quickly. There have to be pretty ideal conditions for things to be preserved.

I guess I will find out when the time comes what there is left to cremate. I buried him in a suitcase (the only thing he could fit in after rigor mortis set in) that is supposedly weatherproof, so who knows.

But I like the idea of the cement and the different shapes it could be molded into.

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

Alkaline hydrolysis (google it) is the non-heat alternative to cremation. In some parts of the world is not legal, in some they just dont care. Check before proceeding. Can be cheaper and easier.

In conventional cremation (heat based) some bones are difficult to burn (I pass the details). Reason of using high temperature is to achieve as much as possible volume reduction and complete transformation. However, forensic studies found that even conventionally low temperature that can be achieved in coal burning chambers (backyard DiY containers) are sufficient for advanced cremation.

To conclude: any corp, at any stage of decomposition, can be liquefied or cremated at the current common stage of technology.

Sorry for being so gross :-(

I'll do my research before I do anything.

Well death isn't glamorous, anyway, so no worries about being gross. It was interesting to read about!

 

[Willow's Mom]

I hope that all goes well when you dig up the suitcase and that you are able to find the practical and emotional support you need.

I had Wallaby cremated. It was a lot of money for me at the time, but very much worth it. She is just in the nice wooden box that they gave me gratis and I am fine with that. I thought I might want a nicer urn for her later, but I really don't unless someone would get comfort from combining our ashes after I go to join her, but my life really doesn't seem to be headed in the direction of any homo sapien caring that much when I go.

She has been in my closet for a few years, but I've been thinking about her and writing about her so much lately that I think I want to bring her out into the living room again the next time I get a chance to clean that closet.

She shuffled off this mortal coil in the mid nineties, but she really was a very special cat. You're right, there's nothing glamorous about death, and it's okay that we both want our kitties' remains to be close to us.

Wombat was buried at sea and Animal and Shimi were just left at the vet's. I know that they understand and that they are still with me, but that little box of ashes has gone with me through several moves and I'm very glad I have it.

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

I hope that all goes well when you dig up the suitcase and that you are able to find the practical and emotional support you need.

I had Wallaby cremated. It was a lot of money for me at the time, but very much worth it. She is just in the nice wooden box that they gave me gratis and I am fine with that. I thought I might want a nicer urn for her later, but I really don't unless someone would get comfort from combining our ashes after I go to join her, but my life really doesn't seem to be headed in the direction of any homo sapien caring that much when I go.

She has been in my closet for a few years, but I've been thinking about her and writing about her so much lately that I think I want to bring her out into the living room again the next time I get a chance to clean that closet.

She shuffled off this mortal coil in the mid nineties, but she really was a very special cat. You're right, there's nothing glamorous about death, and it's okay that we both want our kitties' remains to be close to us.

Wombat was buried at sea and Animal and Shimi were just left at the vet's. I know that they understand and that they are still with me, but that little box of ashes has gone with me through several moves and I'm very glad I have it.

My first cat, Squeakers, was buried at a pet cemetery. I left him at the clinic and they did what at the time I couldn't. I feel guilty that I wasn't even there for him when he was put to sleep, but I was nineteen and didn't have the stomach to watch the cat I had for nine years pass on. I hope wherever he is he understands that.

The fact it probably will be a lot of money is the reason I'm waiting until next year because right now I don't have it.

Some people might find it weird to have your pet's ashes, but my cats aren't my pets, they're my babies.

You buried one of your cats at sea? That is very interesting. I've never heard of a sea burial for an animal before. Why did you decide that if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Willow's Mom]

You buried one of your cats at sea? That is very interesting. I've never heard of a sea burial for an animal before. Why did you decide that if you don't mind me asking?

Wombat was hit by a car. I was very upset and really couldn't make burial decisions for myself---yes, I was supposed to be a grownup and had been married, hitch hiked across the country several times, and was in college but I was still only 19 years old.

One of my friends had a nice ceramic container that her body fit into perfectly. She was not bleeding, damaged, or gross at all, she just looked dead. My other friend had a sailboat. None of us had any money for a pet cemetary.

I couldn't go out with David when he put Wombat in the water, but I know he didn't lie to me. She didn't wind up in a garbage can and I still live near that ocean.

It was free and another way of keeping her close.


ETA: I get it. Koala, Wallaby, and Wombat were my kids when I was erroneously told that my reproductive system didn't work. My current furkids, Laurel, Chocolate, and Willow are my kids now that I am estranged from what came between.

It isn't that I didn't love Tacy, Clark, Cadie, and Franklin, it's just different.

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[Show Me Your Kitties]

Wombat was hit by a car. I was very upset and really couldn't make burial decisions for myself---yes, I was supposed to be a grownup and had been married, hitch hiked across the country several times, and was in college but I was still only 19 years old.

One of my friends had a nice ceramic container that her body fit into perfectly. She was not bleeding, damaged, or gross at all, she just looked dead. My other friend had a sailboat. None of us had any money for a pet cemetary.

I couldn't go out with David when he put Wombat in the water, but I know he didn't lie to me. She didn't wind up in a garbage can and I still live near that ocean.

It was free and another way of keeping her close.


ETA: I get it. Koala, Wallaby, and Wombat were my kids when I was erroneously told that my reproductive system didn't work. My current furkids, Laurel, Chocolate, and Willow are my kids now that I am estranged from what came between.

It isn't that I didn't love Tacy, Clark, Cadie, and Franklin, it's just different.

I am so sorry for your loss.

I'm sorry for your loss. Losing a pet in any way is hard, but them getting hit by a car? That would honestly be traumatic

I think burying her at sea was a unique and beautiful way to send her off.

My mom knows someone who is unable to have children so she treats her dogs like her kids. She even throws them birthday parties and invites family. Not sure why she never considered adoption, but those puppers have a better life than I do lol